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PEP Announces Collaboration with PLAN Fund
Read more ... Prison Entrepreneurship Program changes lives of felons — and executive volunteers Mike Orren Click Here to see this article online. Read more ... On the Road With PEP Recruiter Marcus Hill Interviewed by Erin Davis I got a chance to talk to Marcus Hill, PEP's Prison Recruiter, and find out exactly what it looks like to be a literal Road Warrior for the program. A tireless worker, Marcus packs his days with visits to prisons all around Texas. He will, for example, visit twelve units in two weeks. He'll narrow down the current male prison population to the most promising 150 or so men who will make up the next Class of PEP participants. What's that process like? How does he go about selecting the guys? Here's what Marcus has to say: Read more ... Starting a Business, One Clean Carpet at a Time PEP Staff Where many small businesses falter in a short period of time, JJ feels his success stems from his commitment to his clients and to the quality of the work. With that mindset, he works hard for every opportunity to prove that his services are the best in the area. Whether it is in an office suite in a skyscraper or the interior of a car, JJ sees an opportunity to make a great impression. Read more ... Come Together, and Accomplish More Paul Short, Team Synergy Inc. A few weeks ago, Paul Short (known in the Cleveland Unit as "Powerful Paul") joined our Class 13 participants for a day-long workshop on teambuilding and communication. He shared his thoughts on the experience, and the surprising outcome, at the conclusion of the workshop. Read more ... The Business Plan Advisor Pablo Gonzalez Instead of witnessing violence, hate, and segregation, I saw people coming together in a place where not only true rehabilitation takes place, but one where individuals begin to find the true meaning of words like love, care and hope for the first time. Most of the stories shared by my imprisoned friends in PEP began with a similar turning point; a hug. Read more ... The PEP Experience Vicki Wiederkehr I believe these men deserve another chance. Whether that chance is a true FIRST, second, or even tenth, I feel a strong conviction to serve and to share through the outreach a message of encouragement, inspiration, hope, and most importantly, entrepreneurship education. Read more ... A Prison of Our Own Making Susan Olesek, Enneagram Facilitator What I knew for certain, before I rubbed shoulders with 150 Texan inmates, was that we are all in a prison of our own making in the ways we suffer our personalities. What I seriously underestimated was the profound manner in which the PEP men could remind me of the way out. I was invited to teach to my passion, a psychological system called the Enneagram, to Class 12 just before Thanksgiving and to Class 13 at the end of January. Read more ... The Beauty of the Business Plan Competition Class 12 Grad, Gerald L. On the day of the Business Plan Competition I was feeling pretty nervous. The day started with breakfast as we anxiously waited for our executive guests to arrive. A large number of executives attended and we began to feel the energy of this important event. Once we got everyone into the PEP room there was laughter, music, dancing, and excitement by the participants and executives. Read more ... The PEP Volunteer Experience Stephanie Wells When I first signed up for PEP, I thought I was signing up for another service event that would fulfill a requirement for Business Honors. I had heard about the program and even spoken with a PEP graduate, so I was interested and very excited, but what I came to feel after attending 2 events is more than I ever bargained for. Read more ... Outside The Wire, part 3 Lance Manning | November 2009 Only a week after graduation, Craig was on the outside. But his first day was full of logistical problems and negativity. A trip to the wrong transitional house made everything more difficult than he'd planned. Temptation from his old life returned, and his new life commitments were in jeopardy. Read more ... Venture Capital Panel and Concept Day PEP Staff | August 2009 As Class 12 moved into their 8th week of PEP, the Venture Capital Panel and Concept Day provided an opportunity for participants to pitch their preliminary business ideas and gain valuable feedback from top executives from across the country. The Venture Capital Panel proved to be the first of many difficult steps in PEP, as participants faced a panel of executive judges to show what they have learned thus far. The judges, successful businessmen and women, were encouraged to challenge the participants on feasibility of ideas and to present tough critiques before the participants committed to writing the actual business plan. Read more ... Outside The Wire, part 2 Lance Manning | September 2009 Jason, one of the younger PEP members, began prison life at age 15. He met Ms. Rohr during her information gathering visit to the Texas Youth Commission. With an intent to expand the reach of PEP, her influence educated Jason and others on how to qualify for the program in the free world. Jason became involved post-release in Entrepreneurship School (eSchool) and has visited the Cleveland Unit to show support for other participants. Read more ... Outside The Wire Lance Manning | August 2009 When Roberto was just a week into the PEP class in prison, he wasn’t sure what he had gotten himself into. His perception was that PEP was a skills upgrade program—what he had experienced so far was way beyond that. Read more ... Kicking Off a Second Chance PEP Staff | July 2009 Honest … caring … responsible … businessman. What do these words have in common? Surprisingly they describe prisoners—specifically the new Class 12 recruits for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. Not surprising, though, is that Class 12 is the biggest starting class in the history of PEP and will provide more than 70 men with a real chance to transform their lives. Read more ... The BPC Experience David Joekel, PEP Staff | July 2009 The executives were amazed too, and many commented that the business plans were some of the best they had ever heard. What I expected to hear or see was the participants thanking the executives, but in the end it was the executives thanking the participants. Some of these CEOs and executives have been leading employees and organizations for years, yet have never experienced the transformation that these men have accomplished through such an unlikely place and opportunity. Read more ... Reflections on Class XI Kick-Off Lance Manning, PEP Volunteer | March 2009 After only a week in the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, new participants gather in anticipated excitement for the first Kick Off event of 2009. 85 men in prison blues sit on one side of the room with visiting volunteers filling the other side. Ms. Catherine Rohr, CEO of PEP, wears a conductor’s hat and welcomes all. This train to a new life is about to depart. Read more ... Reflections of a PEP Peer Educator Benji, Class VIII Graduate, and PEP Peer Educator | February 2009 Benji, valedictorian of Class VIII, was voted Mr. PEP by his classmates for truly living out PEP’s 10 Driving Values. As a peer educator for part of Class IX and all of Class X, Benji has worked tirelessly at assisting with class instruction, grading papers and helping to organize prison events. The following speech was written and delivered by Benji at the Class X Graduation ceremony to inspire and encourage his brothers. Read more ... Former Venture Capitalist Helps Prisoners Prepare for Business World Catherine Rohr | November 2008 I went straight from graduating from the University of California at Berkeley right into venture-capital investing. I loved it. I made my short career in forcing deals. I was an aggressive and good deal originator. I would call up CEO's or find them wherever I could, and I was successful in turning a "no" into a "yes" when it came to investing in their companies. I was in Palo Alto, Calif., doing Silicon Valley investing for about three years, and then I went to New York, where I was for about three years. Read more ... Making the Connection: The PEP Family Program PEP Staff | January 2009 Of all the life-changing aspects of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, the Family Program is the one piece that makes the biggest impact on free-world loved ones. Not seeing a member of the family for years due to incarceration can mean loved ones live off old memories of what the participant used to be like, used to say, and used to do. Read more ... It Doesn't Feel Like Prison Lance Manning | October 2008 Donuts, sub sandwiches and pizza. Sound like prison food to you? On October 24 and 25, 2008, participants of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) hosted MBA students and executive volunteers at the Cleveland Correctional Center just outside Houston, Texas. Read more ... BPC—The Inside View Grant Warren, Class IV Graduate | December 2006 The culminating experience for PEP participants is the two-day Business Plan Competition (BPC) and graduation ceremony. On the surface, business is the reason for the event. The participant, after four months of preparing his plan and presentation, has the opportunity to present his business concept to a panel of executives. Read more ... What’s the Big Deal? Case Study: James Gorman | July 2007 T-shirts get printed everyday—some in huge warehouses, others in mom-and-pop start-ups. On this day, A Perfect Print was delivering an order of t-shirts to the headquarters of a large corporation in the Dallas area. Sounds perfectly normal, right? Read more ... Think You Can Say No to Mentoring? Jason Floyd | August 2007 Of the 10 million or so businesses within the U.S., I was somehow invited to be one of ten or so panelists judging inmate business plans through the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. Read more ... The Lost Cause of Byron Maddox Case Study: Byron Maddox | July 2007 Everyone knew Byron Maddox was a lost cause—including Byron. Read more ... |
